The Southern Smoke Festival is an embarrassment of riches. A powerhouse lineup of talent—the country’s top chefs, bartenders and hospitality professionals—will descend on Houston for the festival on Saturday, October 3 from 4 to 8 p.m., turning Discovery Green into an unmissable culinary paradise.
It’s where foodies will get to see some of the nation’s most creative and decorated chefs as well as Houston’s powerhouse collection of food and beverage superstars. This year marks its 11th season – a fundraiser for the hospitality industry that to date has raised more than $16 million for people in need.
The invited talent is not a random hodgepodge, says co-founder Chris Shepherd. There is deliberate thought and outreach effort put into the final roll call, including featuring chefs in regions where Southern Smoke hopes to do more work.
“There are reasons behind why they’re all there,” he said. “In the end, we want people who believe in what we’re doing—who feel part of the mission and want to be a part of it.”
With more than 100 industry luminaries in attendance, it’s hard to pick favorites. But here are 10 chefs not to miss at the 2026 Southern Smoke Festival.
10 Chefs to Know at Southern Smoke Festival 2026
Ana Castro, Acamaya (New Orleans)
If you feel a kinship with Castro it’s because she, like Houston, understands the powerful marriage between Mexican and Gulf seafood flavors. At Acamaya, she blends coastal Mexican with regional Gulf catch. Since opening the restaurant with her sister and business partner, Lydia, in 2024, Acamaya has been on all the best new restaurant lists and garnered Bib Gourman status from Michelin Guide. Food & Wine called Acamaya “one of the most emotionally resonant and culturally rooted restaurants in the country.”
Claudia Martinez, Bar ANA (Atlanta)
Why aren’t there more late-night dessert and cocktail bars? Martinez might be on to something big with Bar ANA, a posh den rooted in Afro-Latin and Caribbean traditions, that has Atlanta abuzz. A two-time James Beard Award nominee, the pastry chef uses her family’s Venezuelan roots to lard her menu with evocative, Latin-inspired flavors that are perfect for the bar’s rum- and agave-forward cocktails and Caribbean-style tiki drinks.
Brandon Jew, Mister Jiu’s (San Francisco)
It’s not every chef who can claim a James Beard Award in both the restaurant and media categories, but Jew has done just that. The chef/owner of the contemporary Cantonese-American restaurant with one Michelin star, Jew won his Best Chef California honor in 2022, the same year his cookbook “Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown” was recognized in the media awards. His restaurant is one of only two Chinese restaurants in the U.S. to currently hold a Michelin star (and Mister Jiu’s has had that distinction for nine years in a row).
Paul Carmichael, Kabawa (New York)
Eater called it “New York’s Most Fun Fine Dining Experience” while Food & Wine crowed “The Best Restaurant in America is a Full-On Caribbean Party”, describing Kabawa, whose energetic menu is inspired by Carmichael, a Barbados native. He worked for 10 years with the Momofuku group before opening Kabawa, exploring the many influences of Caribbean cuisine. Opened in 2025, Kabawa immediately earned Michelin recognition and a top spot on North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list for 2026.
Caroline Glover, Annette and Traveling Mercies (Denver)
After two years under April Bloomfield at New York’s The Spotted Pig, and time spent working in sustainable farming, Glover opened her first restaurant Annette in Aurora, Colorado in 2017. By 2019 she was named one of Food & Wine’s best new chefs and two years later earned a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mountain. In addition to the cocktail and oyster bar Traveling Mercies she owns with her husband, Glover is editing a print magazine, Mother Sauce, focused on food and restaurants, aimed at the hospitality industry.
Meaghan Dorman, Dear Irving (New York)
Dorman’s bar skills helped earn Dear Irving a place on North America’s 50 Best Bars list, among its many accolades. A veteran bar professional and mentor, Dorman first started bartending at Raines Law Room when it opened in New York in 2009. She has since become a key figure in the craft cocktail movement and is currently bar director and partner of Raines Law Room, Raines Law Room at The William and its sister concepts, Dear Irving.
Angie Rito & Scott Tacinelli, Don Angie (New York)
One of the most viral dishes ever, the famed pinwheel lasagna, helped turn Don Angie into one of the hardest reservations in Gotham. That dish is the work of the husband-and-wife team whose Italian-American upbringings and passions for food led them to successful careers in the industry, culminating in their 2017 launch of Don Angie which has earned them critical success, multiple James Bear nominations, and a Michelin star. The West Village restaurant is known for its impeccable food and hospitality.
Stuart Brioza, State Bird Provisions (San Francisco)
Brioza spent four years working alongside his wife, pastry chef Nicole Krasinksi, at Rubicon in San Francisco before the pair launched State Bird Provisions in 2012. Success was immediate: Best New Restaurant in 2013 and Best Chef: West in 2015 from James Beard. Michelin bestowed one star to State Bird as well as The Progress, the partners’ 2014 follow-up. Their Atomic Workshop hospitality group also includes the critically acclaimed Anchovy Bar.
Serigne Mbaye, Dakar NOLA (New Orleans)
His restaurant began as a pop-up but is now considered one of the finest restaurants in the country. This year, Mbaye was named Best Chef: South for his work at his Senegalese tasting menu hotspot, which only two years before was named Best New Restaurant. Born in Harlem and raised in Daka, Senegal, Mbaye’s credentials are impressive: Café Adelaide in New Orleans, Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, and L’Atelier Joel Robuchon in New York. Dakar NOLA opened during the pandemic and quickly won acclaim, including being named one of Eater’s All-Time Most Essential and Most Influential Restaurants in America.
Adrian Torres, Maximo (Houston)
Southern Smoke’s high-octane lineup will include one of the country’s newly minted superstars, Houston’s own Torres, who recently earned the James Beard Award for Emerging Chef, one of only two national Beard awards to come from Houston (the other for Outstanding Bar Program in 2022 for Alba Huerta’s Julep). In one of the most poignant moments of the evening, Torres accepted his award by referring to himself as the proud son of immigrants and a DACA recipient. His work at Xochi and Belly of the Beast helped prepare him for leading the kitchen at Maximo, now considered Houston must-do dining.
Going to Southern Smoke Festival 2026? 6 Tips for First-Timers
With more than 100 chefs, bartenders, and hospitality pros packed into four hours at Discovery Green, knowing who you want to see is only half the battle.
Southern Smoke can be a lot to take in, especially for first-timers. Festival veterans know what to expect from this deluge of food and beverage talent that descends on the city each year. But first-timers might not be prepared for what awaits them. If you’re a newbie to this culinary extravaganza, here are a few tips that might help you negotiate the 2026 Southern Smoke Festival:
Travel in the express lane: Join the Badge Pick-Up Party on Friday, September 25 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Julep bar, 1919 Washington. Show your electronic ticket to receive a physical festival badge that will allow you to use the designated Fast Pass entrance on game day. You get to skip the main check-in line entirely.
Make like a Boy Scout, and be prepared: Check the weather reports and arm yourself accordingly. Pack your hat, sunscreen, and any other personal essentials. Wear comfortable shoes and expect a lot of time on your feet and walking. Also, pack your patience—there’s a lot to see with a lot of people to maneuver through.
Drink up: We mean water. Yes, the wine and cocktails will be incredible and plentiful. But drink a lot of water to stay hydrated and ready for that next delicious bite and tasty sip.
Plan your attack: Study the schedule and festival map and make a plan that will allow you to see your favorite chefs and bartenders and taste what you’re most excited about. “You can’t eat 80 things, it’s physically impossible,” says Shepherd. “So make a plan to get the most out of the day.” Don’t forget that there are book signings, live cooking demonstrations on the YETI Culinary Stage, live music, and various wine and cocktail outposts. Also, expect immersive activations and pop-ups, including the 2026 Class of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs.
Take home some memories: Some booths will offer swag; cookbooks will be for sale; and there’s merchandise for sale from YETI, a partner and sponsor of Southern Smoke. There’s a good chance you’ll be leaving the festival with some memorable keepsakes.
Shiny happy people: The festival’s purpose is to make money for the foundation’s work. But anyone who has attended Southern Smoke knows it’s an event invested with the spirit of community. So make friends and say hi to your favorite chefs, some who have been with the festival for many years, including from Day One (hello, Aaron Franklin, we’re looking at you!). It’s a chance to not only do good but feel good about where you live, who you know, and the power of like-minded people coming together. “Enjoy the moment and enjoy the people around you,” Shepherd said. “Have fun.”
Southern Smoke Festival, Discovery Green, October 3, 4-8 p.m., southernsmoke.org
